Florida man, 74, shoots labrador and its owner after he feared the rescue dog 'was killing' his pet
An elderly Florida man shot a dog and its owner after his dog was attacked on a walk. The rescued dog he shot may have to get a leg amputation.
According to Local 10, 74-year-old Manuel Alen had been walking his dog, Little Paco, who is a Jack Russel mix on the same path that they had walked for the last decade when a labrador named Claire is said to have attacked his dog. The man, who carried a gun for protection, pulled it out and shot Claire. He claimed that "before I could even react, (the dog) grabbed him by the belly and was shaking him like a rag doll. He was killing my dog".
Claire's owner had been at home getting ready for dinner when she heard the commotion outside. Her dog had managed to get out since her door was open. It had sounded like fireworks. Valeria Rodriguez, who is an elementary teacher said that she had run towards Alen and Claire. "You shot my dog," she had said. This scared him. Alen said. "She came at me and I was fearing, because it was not just her. There was a lot of people there," he said.
He shot again and this time hit Rodriguez in her stomach. She felt a "sting" following which she had to get to the hospital. "I touched the hole, I saw the blood and I immediately, like, started focusing on somebody needed to get me to a hospital," Rodriguez said.
"Really, really sorry I shot that lady," Alen said. "I was shocked when I pulled that trigger because (I’ve) never done that in my life." He was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The bullet missed the woman's ribs, heart, and lungs and she is expected to recover. Little Paco is also expected to recover. Rodriguez still can't wrap her head around why he would shoot. "There are no people running at him. Like, my mom was standing, yelling, like, ‘No, no, no,’ and I came out running from my house to where they were." Fearing for her safety, she has filed a restraining order against Alen.